Become a Site Supporter and Never see Ads again!

Author Topic: Uses today for Unbalanced Lo Z to Balanced Hi Z adapters?  (Read 4842 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Charliebrm

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Taperssection Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Uses today for Unbalanced Lo Z to Balanced Hi Z adapters?
« on: May 27, 2021, 06:53:26 PM »
I have 4 of these Radio Shack 274-017C adapters. Frankly I bought them ages ago expecting I'd be handling more small band recording but my path didn't go that route, with direct cabling, so I've never used them.

Now I'm more involved with recording from various lavalier mics – typically 3 mm TRS needing plugin power – into a variety of portable devices, particularly Tascam DR-40, Tascam DR-70D neither of which are friendly to 1/8" plugin power and unbalanced lavaliers. I'm aware of the Rode VXLR Pro as a resort but I've got boxes of components and parts looking for something to get soldered to them.

Any thoughts on what the internals or the complete adapters could be applied to in this age? Are the transformers even considered passable for audio? I hate throwing out things that can have another kick at the can if I knew what they'd be good for.




Offline Melanie

  • Trade Count: (3)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 926
Re: Uses today for Unbalanced Lo Z to Balanced Hi Z adapters?
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2021, 10:42:30 AM »
I patched out of a friend from CT. for the Dead shows at Autzen stadium in 1994, he and another taper would use converters like this to run long cabling from one side of the board directly facing the stacks to another taper on the other side of the board. This gave us direct straight shots to the speakers, one taper on one side with his deck and one on the other side. Great sounding set-up, I've run at Autzen throughout the years, this was prob. the best sound I've got from there. They used equal cable lengths for both channels. This is a good use for these, I believe. Bob
Melanie and Bob

Offline Gutbucket

  • record > listen > revise technique
  • Trade Count: (15)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 15683
  • Gender: Male
  • "Better to love music than respect it" ~Stravinsky
Re: Uses today for Unbalanced Lo Z to Balanced Hi Z adapters?
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2021, 11:56:02 AM »
Those adapters are a good safe option anytime you need to interconnect unbalanced and balanced gear, providing/accepting a true balanced and isolated signal on the 3 pin XLR. Using them, you don't have to worry about the particulars of various direct-wired conversion schemes specific to different pieces of equipment. 
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline rocksuitcase

  • Trade Count: (4)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 8277
  • Gender: Male
    • RockSuitcase: stage photography
Re: Uses today for Unbalanced Lo Z to Balanced Hi Z adapters?
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2021, 01:52:01 PM »
Quick question- is the other end 1/4 inch female?
music IS love

When you get confused, listen to the music play!

Mics:         AKG460|CK61|CK1|CK3|CK8|Beyer M 201E|DPA 4060 SK
Recorders:Marantz PMD661 OADE Concert mod; Tascam DR680 MKI x2; Sony PCM-M10

Offline Charliebrm

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Taperssection Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: Uses today for Unbalanced Lo Z to Balanced Hi Z adapters?
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2021, 04:36:19 PM »
Quick question- is the other end 1/4 inch female?
Yes. The "input" end is 1/4" female. Tip Sleeve 1/4"

Offline illconditioned

  • Trade Count: (9)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 2996
Re: Uses today for Unbalanced Lo Z to Balanced Hi Z adapters?
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2021, 01:25:55 AM »
Interesting. Used these before to isolate gear.
I wonder if cutting the middle wire (pin 1 on the XLR) would avoid ground loops.
I think this is the way "ground lift" works on some boxes.

Please DO NOT mail me with tech questions.  I will try to answer in the forums when I get a chance.  Thanks.

Sample recordings at: http://www.soundmann.com.

Offline DSatz

  • Site Supporter
  • Trade Count: (35)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *
  • Posts: 3347
  • Gender: Male
Re: Uses today for Unbalanced Lo Z to Balanced Hi Z adapters?
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2021, 07:07:02 AM »
These are designed, I think, to let you plug a guitar or keyboard into a balanced microphone input on a mixer. I don't think they're 1:1 isolation devices (which certainly exist) but instead, the transformer may be wired to step the voltage down by 20 dB or more.

Also, audio transformers that small are hard to make well. These may be fine for casual use and for speech applications, but I would want to measure and listen carefully before trusting them for any music recording that I cared about.
« Last Edit: July 05, 2021, 07:11:32 AM by DSatz »
music > microphones > a recorder of some sort

Offline EmRR

  • Trade Count: (5)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 778
    • ElectroMagnetic Radiation Recorders
Re: Uses today for Unbalanced Lo Z to Balanced Hi Z adapters?
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2021, 12:31:27 PM »
Essentially same as a transformer coupled direct box, but in a barrel with no ground lift option.  Hi-Z 1/4" to 600Ω balanced, probably 50K hi-Z.  Not meant for significant source level, more like hi-z mic or instrument.  A hot keyboard could overload it in the bass.  You can put an xls gender revers inline and plug a 1/4" cable into it to use it the other direction, low-Z step-up to hi-Z. 
Mics: DPA 4060 w/MPS 6030 PSU/DAD6001/DAD4099, Neumann KM 131, Oktava MK 012, Sennheiser MKH 105, MKH 20, MKH 30, MKH 40, MKH 800 TWIN
Recorders: Zoom F8n, Sony MZ-R50

 

RSS | Mobile
Page created in 0.083 seconds with 32 queries.
© 2002-2024 Taperssection.com
Powered by SMF